Farther Away
by Yukibara
Summary: A girl hidden amongst secrets is thrown into the past she thought was never really real. Who will be the one to pick her up when she is discovers her destiny, and what she must do to save the lives of millions and may have to possibly give up her future?
1. Prolouge

Hey reader who is actually reading this fic! thank you for reading, it is VERY appreciated, very.

-yuki-

-Prolouge-

I walked throughout the endless aisles of my father's library inside their mansion-sized home. It could be called a castle because it was just as big. We had sections of our home. The servants even had their own wing. I smirked at that because we needed so many people to keep this house immaculately clean. It was much harder than it looked. With my training I had no time for such petty things as household chores. I had much more important things to deal with than cleaning supplies.

My mother Emila, my sister, Lilia, my brother Michael, and my father Landon all went out to dinner without me because me didn't want to go. For some reason, I was compelled to stay home inside my father's library. It was massive, housing information that the general public could not hold a prayer to have in their own small insignificant libraries. heh.

But of course, I didn't say a word of it to her family. They were close knit but tonight, I had this feeling something was going to happen and it set me ablaze with excitement. I was the oldest in my family, and therefore was offered more of my "leash" in a matter of speaking. I'd would be graduating that year, and had already been accepted to North Western in Illinois. I lived no where near it but I'd been wanting to go to college and that was the one I chose. It wasn't like my family didn't have money. I was the only one of his children that My father allowed inside his private study. My family wasn't like other families. We had the power of the gods flowing through their veins. The women had the most spiritual power flowing through them. I was one of the most powerful spiritual maidens that my family had ever seen since our bloodline began. Every prophecy and legacy now rests on my shoulders and I'm only fifteen.

"What do we have here?" I was curious about these scrolls...they actually caught my attention. They looked just like every other scroll my father had locked up here in his study but there was just something about them that pulled me to them.

I sat down quickly and gracefully on the floor next to them, inspecting the scroll down the the stitched fiber of the parchment.

There were three scrolls in all, two a light yellow from age and the other a charcoal black.

I held up the charcoal scroll to the light filtering in from a window behind me.

"I can't read this...damn calligraphy..." I cursed and then sighed in exasperation. I couldn't read a damn thing so the scroll would be of no use to me.

But, the mysterious symbol captured my eyes. I found I couldn't tear them away from the damned scroll.

The symbol sent shivers down my spine and electric current through my body.

Suddenly, a voice whispered in my mind. It was soothing and calm, I found myself slipping into unconsciousness as it lulled these poetic words into my ears,

"Beyond the peaking mountains,

Rushing through streaming rivers,

Blowing among grassy meadows

Lies a Fountain of Immortality.

In a foreign world,

The Inu awaits to be freed of his sleeping imprisonment" It paused..

"Free him, little Shikigami Goddess"

The voice faded as the riddle was left sounding again in her head.

"How!?" I demanded of the voice. Dammit! I would not be played with.

I raked her fingers through my dark espresso hued tresses that stretched down to the small of my back and was tied in a low bow.

I looked back to the scroll, and continued to stare at the symbol before me. Still hypnotized by it's image I could not look away as much as I tried to.

The very same symbol that mesmerized me while persuading me to reach out and grope it's brush marks.

Temptation won this one over- after all what could touch a symbol on a whittle black scroll do?

Quickly, a blue light engulfed me while a pink light swirled in different patterns-almost like the brush strokes of the symbol.

Then both lights flooded my body in light.

"Free him, little Shikigami Goddess."

The voice rung once again as I saw her consciousness slipping away once again from my grasp. I was losing this battle and I never lost...this was bad.

This only background info really and chappie one really gets into her family's secrets...but can she hide them all from the world...or will she suffer the consequences?

R&R I want at least 5 reviews until I upload chappie one!

-Yuki-


	2. Chapter 1 Discovering the Long Forgotten

Chapter 1- discovering the long forgotten

Ashley landed in the bottom of a well filled with demon bones laying in the pit of the well.

"This is disgusting. I can not BELIEVE that damn scroll brought me HERE! WHAT THE HELL!" I screamed in disgust when I felt something move underneath my feet. I just about leaped five feet in the air and with much speed and efficiency I was capable of managing at that moment, I grasped on to the vine leading up to the exit of the well and climbed.

I reached the top of the well quickly and without hesitation pulled my body over the edge, as fast it would allow, of that disgusting rickedy old well. My breath was caught in her throat as I stared at a man with silver hair pinned by an arrow to a massive tree.

"The Inu waits to be freed of his sleeping imprisonment." A voice repeated the riddle inside of my head. She groped the back of my thigh for my dagger that father had given me for completing me training in Spiritual Power, Martial Arts and Telepathy, which was well hidden by me baggy pants.

(Flashback)

" Congratulations." A woman with long golden locks reaching to the small of her lower back smiled down at a fifteen year old Ashley, Her beautiful violet eyes brimming with tears. Ashley was dressed in ceremonial miko attire. Her hair pinned up in a very tight braid bun using two silver dragon hairpins.

"Thank you, mother." Ashley happily returned the same smile to her mother.

"I have never been so proud, even at your graduation from your training!" Her mother, Emila laughed.

"Emila….leave our daughter alone, your smiles are probably scaring her." A man with dark brown hair, muscular build, and icy blue eyes exclaimed while putting his arm around Ashley's shoulders.

"Father!" the fifteen year old shouted happily as she hugged her father.

"Nonsense, Landon!" Emila grumbles, while her husband and daughter chuckled.

"Ashley, I want you to have this. It was given to me by my father when I completed my training." He handed her a beautiful turquoise hilt curved dagger.

"Oh, father! It's beautiful, thank you. I will treasure it…always."

(End of Flashback)

I smiled fondly at the simple memory, those were days when I had been so happy and carefree. Where did those days go?

My family's secret, every child when reaching the age of five began their training until they completed all three areas. I was always a fast and analytic learner. My cousin Giovanni and I completed our training at age fifteen. The age I was now. My graduation wasn't too long ago actually. It's funny how months ago can seem like years ago. I feel like my childhood is so far from me now that my innocence no longer lingers with me. I grew up so fast. All I really remember from being a child was training so I could be as strong as my daddy was. My father was my world, my hero. I wanted to be just like him.

I was always curious, and had to learn more than was just required. I hungered for the knowledge I knew my family could have offered me. I saw opportunity and I took advantage of it and I've never regretted that decision and I know I never will.

I mastered Tikwando (sp?) in a little under four years-training day and night when she was not involved in her studies. Ashley's father, Landon owned five Dojos around the world- 1 in U.S, 1 in Italy, 1 in Japan, 1 in China, and 1 in Brazil. He taught only Martial Arts. Telepathy and Spiritual Power were her family's most treasured secret. That's why all of the children were home schooled until they completed their training. Ashley already had been going to school and focusing on her studies for the last two years. She also recalled when her father had given her a Japanese katana as a early graduating gift.

(flashback)

"Ashley, you have achieved levels beyond your age, have completed your training MUCH earlier than expected. You will face tough decisions and battles you never expected as you go through life. I have seen to that you never have to struggle to defend yourself and you will be just fine. But this is my way of welcoming you into adulthood. This is my gift to you,"

Landon handed her a Japanese katana with a red snake skin hilt, and craved into the blade was an incantation in Latin.

"This katana, Ashley, has an invisibility spell casted upon it. Only your bloodline is able to touch it, I am the only exception. But only you are able to dispel and recast the spell by saying the incantation. The incantation is for you to discover, my daughter."

(End of Flashback)

I checked to make sure my katana was there. My movements were silent. I still loved to admire the sheath. It was black swirled with crimson spiraling up in a intricate pattern. I was a Maiden of Spiritual Power, my powers surpassed every woman in my family. I held the most power out of all the women that ever lived in my family and I had always wondered why. when I was brought out of I thoughts by a pulsating feeling under my left breast. This pulsating feeling was not pleasurable and it pissed me off because I didn't know where the hell it was coming from. Damn. This would attract unwanted attention that I didn't need. I didn't know just what kind of "attention" it would attract either.

"What in the seven hells is this!?" I exclaimed in agitation as the pulsating continued on. I was still slightly aware of what was going on around me.

"Ah, the little miko who holds the Shikon no Tama! Give it to me or die!" A centipede youkai bellowed. I looked at it in surprise- never seeing such a being. I would not be defeated however.

'A miko? What the hell is that?'I thought angrily. This whole situation was seriously confusing me and I did not take well to being confused. That's for sure.

"Today is not my day." I sighed in exasperation as drew my katana and charged the over confident youkai. That ultimately be the damned thing's downfall .

I immediately whispered the incantation and my katana appeared before the demon. The demon lept toward me, unfortunately it didn't know my ancestors were demon exterminators! I killed it quickly, the abomination was no challenge for me. Just an annoying and time wasting hindrance. I snorted at that and looked at my surroundings. Taking in everything in case something more dangerous came along. I noticed quickly that there was a boy up against an enormous tree.

The pulsating continued as I neared the sleeping Inu, I figured out the closer I came that he was a Inu youkai and something was pulling at me...this indescribable feeling that made me just want to caress his ears before I freed him.

'Now-time to free you, dog boy.'

I thought apprehensively. I approached him with caution and I slowly pointed my katana to his neck while readying myself to run my dagger through his stomach at any given moment, should he prove a threat. Quickly, I removed the arrow in his shoulder using my mouth. He awakened slowly and looked at me in confusion,

"Who the hell are you!?" he asked angrily, eyeing the closeness of our bodies, to be honest I didn't care what the hell he wanted. I smirked at this, if it came down to a fight then I'd give him one hell of a fight that he would not even expect from a woman of my stature.

"Silence, demon. I've no patience for you." I spat viciously to get my point across, and pressed the katana against his neck with more pressure, beginning draw blood.

I saw his expression fall and his line of vision cast down toward the grass ground of the clearing we stood in.

"Your name, demon?" I growled out, becoming quite agitated with him.

"Inuyasha, yours?" he returned in the same vicious,untrusting tone. I couldn't blame him but I sure as hell didn't trust him either.

"Ashley," I returned as I still eyed him with suspicion before I continued, "Now if you promise to be a good little dog and do _**not**_ try to kill me- I will release you because I know you would not betray your honor." I smirked at his expression. He could be quite fun to toy with actually.

"and if you don't I will chop off your manhood, and kill you as slowly and painfully as possible." My smirk never wavered, just strong as my confidence.

"Now, where's the nearest village?" I asked skeptically while analyzing my surroundings once more.

"About a quarter of a mile east." He replied.

"Alright, get moving.." I grinned and grabbed his arm.

"What the hell are you doing!" he asked furiously while blushing. And peeled my hand off of his arm.

"Trying to move you-because it looks like you aren't capable of moving on your own anymore." I remarked harmlessly, as if pointing out the most obvious of things.

"I'm perfectly capable." He said trying to look away, a blush marring his cheeks.

"Not from where I'm standing." I mumbled and started to walk away, agitation rolling off me in waves.

"Feh, whatever bitch." He answered in a sarcastic tone.

I whipped around and stomped over to him quickly. He found himself pinned up against a tree by a VERY psychotically angry woman-that woman was me.

"Excuse me? Don't you ever call me a bitch again!" I screamed and slapped him with all I was worth and somehow my dagger found it's way to his manhood.

"You wouldn't!" he snarled after recovering from my head spinning slap.

"Oh trust me…I would." I growled lowly in my throat and smirked. Inuyasha gulped.

"Names not to call me:

Bitch- I am not a dog

Wench

Little Miko

Ash

Whore

Slut

Hoe

Prostitute

lee

Or anything else you can think of that's inappropriate when talking to me." I finished while counting each off on my fingers. It really wasn't all that hard to remember and I had no patience whatsoever for stupidity. Maybe I just didn't like people in general because of that..hmm. That was probably it.

"I can't remember all of that!" he shouted in surprise and annoyance. He was stupidity if I ever saw it. Time to have some fun and screw with the hanyou's head..now I liked that idea.

I smirked evilly and then giggled mischievously. If he wanted a challenge then I'd damn well give this filthy hanyou one.

"If you can't remember all of that, I can just carve it into your skin so you always remember what not to call me when you look at your body."

"Whatever." He growled acting as if I couldn't lay a finger on him.

"Okay, I guess you'll have to remember then!" I smiled sarcastically as we continued onto the village, side by side, enemy next to enemy, demon next to miko. It was a crazy world was it not?

So what do you think!? Oh here are the pairings if you are wondering! This fic is very complex and confusing so you guys have to stay with me! I need 5 fricking reviews dammit!

Sess/Ash- You'll see y in later chapters!

San/Mir

Inu/Kik

Kouga/Ayame


	3. AN

Okay people...I'm sorry to say that Im am kinda of unsure the San/Ban thing...because I've decided to make it San/Mir I really do plan on changing that so just hang on for that! Sorry..for those who were hoping for San/Ban...my bad. I just had a change for the story.

I so promise to update soon...very soon!

So this will not be going on the discontinued list because I personally think it definately holds too much potential to become dicontinued!

For the people who read this

THANK YOU!


	4. Chapter 2 Living Against Time

Okay here's chapter 2 yay!

Chapter 2- Living Against Time

Inuyasha and I had finally reached the village, only to find the villagers screaming bloody murder and running around as fire continued to consume the village very quickly. I could tell I didn't have too much time before Inuyasha extracted his revenge.

"It's Inuyasha! RUN! Get Lady Kaede!" One man warned, his doe brown eyes betraying his voice and suddenly a stream of arrrows came flying at the us.

Inuyasha easily evaded them easily while I used the forest as my shield. The numerous trees providing the protection I sought. It wasn't the best but it was all I had to work with, unfortunately.

While Inuyasha was fighting off the villagers, I easily snuck around the fight and into the village. I took in the burning village before me. I turned when I heard a raspy oldened and wise voice giving orders. It was an older priestess commanding the battle. Stealthily, I moved behind the priestess and erected a strong barrier around us both.

"Why hello priestess, Kaede am I correct?" I announced proudly with a smirk causing the priestess to whip around in fear. I wasn't here to scare the old woman but scare tactics just may prove to work in my favor.

"Don't worry, Lady Kaede. I will not hurt you or the villagers. But I fear...I am in need of your assistance...will you please help me?" I promised with a geniune smile. Deciding against the scare tactics, the priestess was older than I thought and I didn't need her dying on me.

"Ye are with Inuyasha are ye not?" I nodded quickly as the older woman continued, still fearful and apprehensive.

"and ye are a miko?" I nodded once more, confirming the answer to her question and replied carefully,

"Yes, I am. But I need an item to bind Inuyasha and control him at my will, so he will not be able to kill me when I am in a vunerable situation, Lady Keade." I finished, still watching and waiting for any sign of Inuyasha. The older priestess nodded in agreement,

"I understand, child. This bindment would prevent Inuyasha from commiting actions you would not approve of, am I correct?"

"Yes. So you are going to help me?" Lady Keade nodded again.

"Indeed child, prayer beads should work well. I shall start on them. Hideki! Halt your actions!" Kaede yelled out to the villager leading the others.

Both Lady Kaede and I walked into the older priestess's hut to begin our work on the prayer beads. A while later I held the beads within my hands. This could be my only chance at survival. If Inuyasha lost complete control then I'm not sure what would happen. He might hold my life within his hands, as much as I hated to admit that. I needed to take measures into my own hands and protect myself-regardless of some idiotic hanyou.

"Lady Ashley, what is the word of your choice?" Lady Kaede asked expectantly.

"Hmm. This isn't exactly the easiest of choices, now is it? How about...sit?" I beamed, excited about the humor this situation could hold for me.

"Now, how do these beads word exactly...hmm. I have an excellent idea. Arigatou Lady Kaede." I smiled in gratitude before I swiftly ran off to find Inuyasha knocking the village men around.

"INUYASHA! Just what do you think you are doing?" She grounded out, fury not even beginning to describe my level of anger at that moment. I glared at him with such intensity that it was a no wonder why he was frightened. That was how it should be, damned hanyou.

" Keh ,nothing you need to know about wench." He gulped after saying that "Word" Now, he remember my promise. I would run him through with my dagger later, but now I had to find a way to get these beads around his neck-that's ALL I cared about now because I was sure as HELL not gonna die from stupidity on his part. FUCK that.

"WHAT did you just call me? Don't you dare think that I'll let your stupid idiodic dumbass get away with this...." I snarled in fury as I chased Inuyasha and backed him up to a tree and slapped him with all of my strength,

"Inuyasha...you will pay for this." I growled in a promising tone. He was knocked out by this point and I had slipped the beads around his neck. I now had to drag him back to the the village alone.

"Well..shit."I cursed and then sighed in defeat. I had to drag his lazy ass back now. well, damn.

-Next Morning-

Inuyasha woke up to find the beads around hs neck.

"ASHLEY!"

I walked into the hut and said,

"Inuyasha." I breathed out and continued

"WHAT!?" He roared as an answer.

"Sit." I said calmly trying not to laugh as he became acquainted with the dirt.

We set out later that day except they were stopped by a crow demon trying to eat a little boy and knocked him into the river.

I dove in and rescued the child only to be wounded slightly as the crow was pecking the pulsating flesh.

"Ahh! Fucking bird! Get the HELL off of me!" I grounded out as the crow pulled out a purple jewel from my body.

"Yes! the Jewel is finally mine!" It cried and swallowed it. I swam to dry land and laid the boy down. My side bleeding profusely.

"Damn....bird." I panted out, grabbing my dagger and abruptly slashed off the foot of the crow yokai and tied it around an arrow. I propped the bow and skillfully shot the arrow at the demon.

When it pierced the demon's flesh the jewel shattered into dozens of shards that were being scattered around all of Japan.

"You wench! What the hell is your problem, you shattered the jewel!" Inuyasha screamed at me, completely killing my hearing. Oh, he would pay dearly for that one.

"I didn't know it would hit the bloody damn jewel, Fuck off!" I returned with the same fierceness. So, we set out to find the shards of the jewel, and on our journey we met a perverse monk with a Wind Tunnel within his hand,

( FlashBack )

"Hello there my fair lady." A monk with dark brown hair whispered into my ear.

"Excuse me?" I asked in suspicion while he flashed her a bright smile which I couldn't help but return in a polite manner.

"My name is Miroku, I am a Monk. Would you please bear my children?" He asked innocently.

"WHAT! Monk...I will give you ten seconds to run for your life..." I twitched slightly as he ran off, but I felt like something was missing..The Jewel Shards!

"Miroku get your ass back here- because I'm going to beat the hell out of it!" I threatened with promise as I chased after him. Soon after, Miroku joined our quest to find the rest of the jewel shards and defeat the hanyou Naraku..both Miroku and Inuyasha had a bone to pick with him.

I remembered why Inuyasha wanted Naraku's head so badly...when Kikyo's Ashes were stolen from her grave by a witch-I was captured because apparently I had a strong enough soul to substain Kikyo. That damn witch stole half of it to bring that heartless corpse back to life. I later discovered that Inuyasha and Kikyo were lovers and Naraku disguised himself as Inuyasha and tricked Kikyo into sealing the real Inuyasha to the Goshinboku. Kikyo died in the process and cremated her body along with the jewel.

I could see the pain in Inuyasha's eyes as he re-told his story and Miroku came to the conclusion that Naraku tricked them, also when Kikyo tried to kill him yet again...the pain was rekindled once again in Inuyasha's eyes. As I watched the two lovers, it was a pain like no other I had ever experienced. Far beyond physical and mental, it was emotional. I had never been in love before. It felt like something was clawing at my heart, ripping into pieces. Tears whelled in my eyes and for once I let them fall when I was alone. For once, I let weakness take over and I prayed to every god that existed that he wouldn't see me vunerablity.

I would never admit my feelings for Inuyasha...to anyone, not ever.

( End of FlashBack )

We were also joined by a orphaned kitsune and a vengeful Taijia.

( FlashBack)

"Inuyasha! DIE!" A woman cried out as she rushed at the hanyou,

"Hiraikostu!" she screamed as Inuyasha dodged a flying boomerang with speed that marvled his own. I protected Shippo and the little two tailed neko-yokai they found as Miroku fought off the demons with his staff. The Taijia's name was Sango and everyone noticed I looked a bit like her- and I was bloody well determined to find out why I looked like this other Taijia.

Suddenly, a detached human arm flew at me and managed to steal the Jewel shards around my neck.

"Shit!" I cursed loudly as the neko ran up to Sango while Naraku ran away with their shards.

"Kirara, follow him." Then the neko transformed into a muscular Tiger sized killer kitty with the strength of a tiger and lion combined.

'Didn't see that coming.' I thought in amusement. Eventually, Sango collasped from the loss of blood and I quickly saw the shard in her back and removed it from Sango.

"I'll bandage her wounds." I offered, after completing that Inuyasha carried both of us on his back while Miroku and Shippo went after Naraku riding Kirara.

I trusted Miroku with my son, after all he protected him from Jaken, servant of Lord Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's half brother and Lord of the Western Province.

I had to admit that I thought Lord Sesshomaru was way to sexy to be Inuyasha's half brother! Seriously, that was my kind of my man and I wanted a man not a boy.

Finally, Sango regained conciousness and slapped her cheek.

"Myoga!? what are you doing here?" I questioned announcing the annoyance to the world by the tone of her voice.

"To check up on Lord Inuyasha." He answered while I continued angrily,

"No, why were you sucking Sango's Blood?" I snarled out lowly as Myoga flinched while Sango watched silently with interest.

"This maiden is Sango?" we nodded together,

"Her skin looked very appealing, so naturally her blood would be very tasty and I could not resist temptation."He stated as if lost in thought.

Whle Sango smacked him-sending him flying of her shoulder miles behind them as she and I laughed, what? It was funny. Immediately, both of us knew we would be best friends.

I quickly explained that Naraku tricked her into thinking that Inuyasha had slaughtered her village when he did not.

"Sango?" I asked while Sango nodded,

"Would you like to travel with us to find the rest of the jewel shards and defeat Naraku?"

"Of course...Inuyasha? Can you forgive me?" Sango questioned in shame.

He nodded and replied in a bored tone,

"It wasn't your fault."

Sango smiled trying to hide the sorrow behind her mask. I noticed this but said nothing- I hardly knew the Taijia and did not want to pry. I was considered a Taijia in this time so what I did not know I'd would learn from Sango and somehow manage to obtain one of those Taijia outfits to flaunt my skills and to show that I was just as capable and was a very skilled Taijia and Miko-deadly combination.

( End of FlashBack )

It had been a couple of weeks and we all had stopped in a village and that was so close to Kaede's. They entered the village and I had something I wanted to research concerning the bone eater's well. Inuyasha and I had gotten quite close- but I was a miko and a taijia...it would be hard for us to be together considering our status...not to mention it would never fly with my family.

mother would understand, Lilia and Michael were too young to know what was going on...but father and the rest of my family would certainly kill me...because that was their form of disowning me.

But, I had Sango- my best friend/ sister and the rest of the gang to support me through it. Shippo jumped onto my shoulder, I always looked at him like a mother would to her son.

"Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo...there is something I have to tell you all." Ashley breathed out and they nodded for her to continue,

"I am not of this Era or country actually. I live 500 years in the future and I need to find a way to travel between both eras. That's why I have a theory about that well...and I was hoping Kaede knew something about it and could help me." I finished while starring at my wide eyed companions.

"So, you do not live in this time period?" Sango questioned in awe as I nodded my head in confirmation.

"I suspected as much." Miroku grinned as everyone still took in all the information and let it soak in.

"You not going to leave us are you momma!?" Shippo cried.

"Not permenantly, Shippo." I whipped his tears and hugged him to my body while Sango joined the family hug. Miroku saw the oppurtunity and groped both of us. Damn monk...

"Miroku!" We both screamed and smacked him inscinctively as he ran away from the both of us Inuyasha tripped him and Sango rushed over to continue her assault on the monk. Inuyasha stared at the ground while leaning against the base of a tree for support.

"Inuyasha..are you okay?" I questioned as I sat next to him.

"Why didn't you tell me..?" he continued his starring contest with the ground.

"Inuyasha, I wanted to tell everyone together, I'm sorry." I said as I slid my arms around his torso and hugged him with everything within me.

"I wnated to make sure I could trust everyone with my secret..." I spoke into his chest, as he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

She stood up and offered her hand to him, he also stood next to Ashley and took her hand into his and they both headed off to the village together.

kay you guys, I need at least ten reviews to update next! please, if you really like this story then...REVIEW! Also...i really don't want reviews from just ONE person...sigh..just please review and save my sanity because i can't update without it or the story will turn in to what I fear the most...happy go lucky gay unicorns in their own little world with chocolate streams, candy trees, ice cream caves and everything a guy can think about when some girl sends him to Cloud Nine by giving him a good kick to......( lol )...i have nothing against gay people or gay unicorns of course but gay unicorns are just WAY to happy for their own good.

So, if you like the story the way it is...REVIEW!

-Yuki-


	5. Chapter 3 Finding Home

Okay...this is like a majorly long update...that was much needed! Hahaha well I hope u guys like it! At the end is where the Japanese dictionary is! so if you don't understand the words then scroll to the bottom of the page.

Chapter 4- The Secret

Four months since the group discovered Ashley's secret, four weeks Ashley had been studying a way to get back home and how to travel back and forth between the well and her time. The futuristic girl had discovered that the Feudal Era was 508 years before her time. She had asked Kaede to teach her the way of the Miko, and Sango to continue training her in the way of the Taijia. Eventually, she had found her answers within the spiritual shrine of Kaede's village.

"The Inu awaits to be freed from his sleeping imprisonment,

Jewel of four powerful entities shall shatter into shards of many,

The jewel binding together five that seek release from it's power,

Future and Past join together as one,

Defeat of the one who challenges fate itself with a vengeful heart,

The four entities rejoin to reform once again.

Spirit and Youki clash and blend into the gray."

The espresso tressed and emerald green hued eyed teen read silently to herself in the little book Kaede hid within the clover covered shrine inside the village, the village that Ashley began to call home. With determination, She repeated the passage like a mantra...she read it over and over again riddled in confusion. Her kimono pooling around her as she lay bent over mounds of books, reading each one...calculating, analyzing every single detail she could us at her disposal. Her hair created a dark veil around her as it would.

"ugh...it's like a riddle that's uncrackable." The miko taijia sighed with a loss of determination when she suddenly heard quiet footsteps behind her, quietly following the trail of her scent.

"Mama...?" A small demanding yet soft voice echoed throughout the long corridor of the aging village shrine.

"Yes, my Shippo?" Ashley gracefully rose from her position on the wooden floor, which was covered by many books telling the developing history of the shrine, and agilely glided over to where her son was standing. She hugged his body close as he mumbled incoherent statements into the front of her haori, which was black decorated in golden hued batafurai. It's black color shone almost metallic, while the batafurai were surrounded by pink hana flowing like rivers on the silk. The Hakamas cut off at knee length and black wedged boots covered her bare legs and reached to mid thiegh. A light pink-whitish colored obi covered by lilies outlined in metallic silver with hotaru dancing about the beautiful yuri lay tightly wrapped around her figure. Her haori cut off at mid arm and was then covered by armor which reached to her knuckles and only showed her bare fingers. Her fingers nails painted a light silverish pink color. In essence, the outfit was quite beautiful, and on her even more stunning. Slowly, she had started to take on the culture of Feudal Era Japan. Her dark tresses pinned up in high pig tails with her long straightened espresso curls held up by light pink, metallic silver and white yuri hair pins with the candle lighting reflecting the shine of her locks. Shippo had long realized the beauty of his mother..who had taken him even though he was a yokai and she a miko. It went against both ways of life...but Ashley was the only one, besides Sango and Miroku, who really understood him and loved him the way a kit like him should be loved. Ashley would die for him if needed..even though she hadn't adopted him in yokai means yet...she had adopted him in human. Shippo understood this, after all the girl was only 15.

"Mama, why do you disappear here so often?" Shippo questioned but suddenly looked down in shame, not wanting to cause his adoptive mother to become angry, but she smiled sadly at him, shocking the poor kit.

"Because my love," she sighed desperately trying to hide her pain while pulling her kit into her arms as she slowly made her way out of the dimly lit shrine. 'it's my only way home.' She thought sadly while walking with grace and elegance only she could possess. While the two made their way into the village and onto Kaede's hut, both heard a angered growl as Inuyasha jumped down from a tree.

"Wench, where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha snarled as the miko brushed past him and glided into Kaede's hut.

"Obviously not with you, Inuyasha, and how many times have I told you not to call me that?" Ashley spoke with indifference laced with fury before she finished while she set Shippo down on the futon, only to meet Inuyasha at the door as she turned around.

"Ah, ye are back Ashley. Good to see ye child." Kaede inclined her head toward the Ashley as the espresso haired girl smiled in recognition. While Sango's gaze rose from polishing her Hirakotsu, made from demon bones, and smiled with happiness hoping to ease her companion and best friend's anger, who she also considered a sister, then Miroku smiled and waved holding his staff steady all the while.

"Why do you always go to the shrine when we could obviously be hunting down jewel shards!" Inuyasha exclaimed in fury, startling everyone in the hut.

"Inuyasha! This is important to finding jewel shards, but if you must know I'm trying to find a way to get home!" She shouted while angry tears threatened to fall from her emerald eyes. Realization shown in Inuyasha's eyes, then Shippo's eyes watered with tears of despair, while Miroku and Sango lay there shocked with no words able to surface.

"Mama, why are you trying to go home..are you leaving us?" Shippo clung to Ashley's side in fear of his mother leaving him and the others.

"No Shippo, I would never leave you or Sango, Miroku even Inuyasha. You guys are my other family." She smiled happily to everyone, even Inuyasha's expression softened a little bit.

"Ashley..." Sango tried to sooth her friend, but her attempts were in vain.

"Sango...I'm sorry. I just need to be alone for a while. I'm sorry." Ashley soon dashed out of sight, brushing past Inuyasha's shoulder in the process.

"Now look what you've done, Inuyasha." Sango glared narrowly as she too, left, who was followed by Miroku and Shippo clinging to the houshi's shoulder.

Ashley ran, she didn't know for how long, but she just ran until her lungs and knees gave out beneath her.

"Oh, Inuyasha...why do you torture me like this..." She cried, tears of anguish streaming down her fair skinned cheeks. She slowly made her way back to the village passing the well which brought her to this era...the well that changed her life forever. She now remembered what Kaede had once mentioned concerning the well.

(Flashback)

"How was it ye came here, child." The older priestess questioned the younger miko.

"Through that old disgusting well, Lady Kaede." Ashley scowled in disgust as Kaede continued her interrogation.

"You are not of this period of time, if this old priestess is not mistaken?" Ashley nodded in confirmation while Kaede replied in a fainter and softer tone.

"So the well transported ye somehow...maybe it is because of the sacred jewel."

(End of Flashback)

Ashley pulled on the little jar that encased such enormous power, a power that many wanted and sought, she slowly pulled a single shard out and inspected it's purity...not only had she learned she was able to purify the shards of the jewel as soon as they were touched her hand, but also that she was the sole protector of the sacred jewel. When Ashley was transported to the Feudal Era, the jewel was hidden inside her body, in her abdomen to be exact, it was that the jewel was apart of her, apart of her soul. Ashley made her decision and jumped into the Bone Eaters' well without another thought. Suddenly, she found herself once again in her father's library surrounded by hundreds of books.

" Uh-I"m finally home...four months that I'm gone, they must be worried sick." She exclaimed in concern and bounded off toward her room. But while in the midst, she was met by her father screaming her name as he felt her aura spread throughout his home.

"Ashley! Where have you been, we were worried sick!" He roared as she stood still, the brunette was not even flinching. Instead, she stood still inspecting he father. He looked sickly thin...gray streaks throughout his dark espresso colored hair, his icy sapphire eyes no longer held the passion they once did...his body looked even more muscular then before...but it was completely unbalanced..there was too much muscle and not enough fat to contain it...he was skin, bones and muscle. She took his rant with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

"Father, calm down...I am fine." She ground out slowly with somewhat of a hiss, trying to maintain her composure, but soon succumbed to her emotions as he swept her into his loving embrace.

"I was so scared...," Her father, Landon, stuttered as his arms shook while he held her there. If Ashley was not as perceptive, she would not have seen the tears falling from her father's icy sapphire pools...and that was one thing her father never did was...cry.

"We all were." Soon she heard her mother's shaky and soft voice, but this time it was but a mere whisper. The teen turned to see a woman that barely looked like her mother...her mother was exceptionally beautiful and looked very young for her age, but the woman before her looked 45 and like she had not eaten in months. Her beautiful golden blond tresses, that were once her pride and joy, now had many soft gray lines running through the naturally highlighted curls. Emila's skin looked pasted onto her skin and like it was paper thin. Her body looked even more fragile and frail. Emila was a smaller bodied woman, but the way she looked now was completely unhealthy. This woman didn't look at all like her mother.

"Mo-mother?" Ashley whispered in disbelief as the woman nodded her head to answer the question. The teen broke from her father's grasp and ran to hug her mother.

"I'm so sorry, mother...I never...I was just trying to get home. I'm so sorry...please forgive me." Ashley cried on her mother's shoulder as Emila cradled her daughter in her arms.

"shh. It's okay...you're home, you're safe. That's all I care about. Just please never do it again." Emila cooed with tears in her own violet orbs that pleaded for her daughter to agree.

"Mother...I cannot stay for long. I'm sorry. But where I have been, I have responsibilities that I must finish." Ashley looked down in regret, but she did not intend to leave Shippo or her companions. Emila looked at her daughter in pride, as she always had, but now more so than ever.

"I understand, love. Just please come and visit as much as you are able to." Ashley listened to her mother's soft spoken voice...it was sweet and innocent. Emila's voice was like a beautiful melody being whispered on the breeze.

"I promise." She nodded and agreed to Emila's only request. Then she saw two children running down the stairs to greet her.

"ASHLEY!" They both screamed in unison as they tackled her together with such force she was surprised to say the least.

"Hey guys, how have my favorite brother and sister been?" Ashley laughed whole heartedly, and finally she was genuinely smiling...she was home.

"Big sister...where have you been...!" The youngest, a little girl, cried with a river flowing from her eyes but was soon picked up by her older sister. The little girl had the most beautiful shade of violet eyes. She had the same golden hued locks of her mother, they all curled to frame her face, her baby fat cheeks and her long eye lashes were stained with tears as she sucked her thumb and held her teddy bear. Lilia was dressed in a little black dress with a greenish gray turtle neck under and black dress shoes with the ankle straps and matching greenish gray socks. Her little cheeks were rosy from crying.

"Lilia...I was on important grown up business, baby. But I missed and love you very much." Ashley smiled as she rubbed her nose to Lilia's and put her forehead to her little sisters to calm the little girl.

"Mmmkaay." The little girl mumbled as she drifted to sleep from the melody being hummed into her ear by her sister who was cradling her in her arms...Ashley carried the sleeping four year old into the little girl's bedroom and put her in her bed with her ten year old brother trailing behind her.

"So are you gonna tell me where you disappeared to for four months?" Michael questioned as he walked alongside Ashley as they made their way to her bedroom.

"You are not old enough to understand this Michael." She growled somewhat as she looked down at her father's replica...she and Michael had their father's hair while Lilia had their mother's. Michael had the same Icy sapphire pools..but they were tinted with just a bit of turquoise as did Lilia...however Ashley was the only one with completely emerald green eyes. Michael was taken back considerably because his sister just growled at him. The boy stopped in his tracks...

"Did you just growl at me?" He asked in surprise and shock.

"Did I?" She laughed cheerily and continued, " I've been around Inuyasha too much." With that said, her smile was wiped from her face as the tears started to fall, Michael then took his leave he hated seeing her cry...because she never did.

"Oh, Inuyasha..." She threw herself on her bed...and cried her eyes out like she never had before...after hours of that, she studied her room to see that nothing had changed.

Right when you walked into the room, a black dresser taller than it was wide lay about two feet from the door, and next to it lied a large entertainment center with a very modern feel. It was very long, about six feet, and had a center box where many small boxes were enclosed around it. Next to the entertainment center was a lamp and a taller desk with shelving units built in next to the lamp. Next to the desk was the her bed that was about a foot away. There were two side tables on each side of the bed. The side tables had two pieces of white glass connected by three pieces of white metal tubes. Each table had wheels on it. But the table on the right of the bed was right in front of a window and next to a black Japanese style table. The table was also right in front of the window, which had black thicker and magenta sheer lace curtains. On the side tables was a Japanese blossom lamp. But next to the table was a closet and another side table on the other side of the closet, this side table was different from the others it had a flat metal top and a lower level beneath the top, but the legs curled in a decorative design at the ends. On the table was a vase of flowers. But hidden inside the closet was a mini bar, which Ashley used to drown out her problems.

"Ugh...some alcohol would help my problems right now." The girl smiled viciously as the tears started flowing down her face again. She pulled opened the doors angrily of her closet only to grab the nearest bottle of vodka, gray goose...

"OOO one of may favorites, how are you my love?" She purred happily to the bottle that always seemed to make her problems and stress go away. She was what people would call a minor alcoholic.

'Ha...screw em'...it makes the pain go away.' she smiled while she continued to cry her pain of four months out...everything she had been through in the last four months was just surfacing now because she had her painkiller with her now. She really didn't care how much she drank...it didn't matter anymore.

"Ashley...honey are you okay? There's someone here to see you. I'm going to let them in, alright?" Just as Emila said that Inuyasha walked in, taking in her scent and the whole room.

"Ashley?" He asked skeptically as he approached her with caution.

"How'd you get here, Inuyasha?" The drunken girl demanded turning away from Inuyasha, to hide pain filled tears from him, but he already smelt the salt laced within her scent.

"Would you like to tell me why you're crying?" He asked lightly as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"None of your business, Inuyasha." She spat viciously as he instinctively shook it off and continued his interrogation of the poor girl.

"And why is it none of my business...because I think it is." He smirked while Ashley recoiled away from him...tears of anguish still streaming down her face.

"Ashley...look..please listen to what I have to say...please." The teen looked over sadly to see Inuyasha fumbling over himself to find the right words to apologize.

" Gomen...I didn't mean it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that...um...I was jealous." He mumbled low enough so that she could hear but only her. Ashley starred back at him blankly, surprised somewhat and speechless at the same time.

"Did you just say that you're sorry?" She asked inquisitively, it seemed curiosity got the best of her. He numbly nodded but was taken by surprise when two arms encircled his neck in an embrace.

"SO...you're sorry, hmm...well I guess I'll forgive you. But does this mean...no more running off to Kikyo?" She asked gently, not wanting to anger him any further.

"Ashley, you know that I..." The teen sighed as she looked into his bright amber orbs, and replied,

"Ok...I understand...but please I just want to stay by your side, please just tell me when you're going to see her. Please it's all I ask." She cried into his chest as Inuyasha held her close...

"I'll tell you from now on, Ashley." His eyes widen when he heard a phrase he never thought he'd ever hear from her.

"Ashiteru..." She whispered softly into his red haori...hoping he heard, yet another part hoping he did not.

Okay there's the end of the chappie, and here's the dictionary!

Batafurai- butterflies

Hotaru- fireflies

Yuri- lilies

Haori- Japanese formal coat

Hakama- divided skirt

Inu- dog

Yokai- Demon

Ashiteru- I love you

Obi- Kimono sash

Hana- Flowers

Miko- Priestess with spiritual powers

Taijia- Demon exterminator

Houshi- Priest


End file.
